CDC: Emergency Preparedness Response

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CDC: Emergency Preparedness Response Update:9/7/2010 1:35:13 PM

UPDATED: Gulf Oil Spill 2010 Health Surveillance The Gulf Coast Oil Spill has the potential to affect human health in addition to the effects already seen on animal and marine life. CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track the potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill in the affected communities.

NEW: CDC Response to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of responding to potential public health issues related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) initiated the agency’s response on April 20th. CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on May 6th as part of the federal response to the environmental disaster.

UPDATED: Gulf Oil Spill 2010 Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

UPDATED: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health. Currently, 282 CDC and ATSDR staff members are involved in the response, including 14 staff members who are deployed to Gulf Coast states.

UPDATED: Gulf Oil Spill 2010 Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

UPDATED: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health. Currently, 282 CDC and ATSDR staff members are involved in the response, including 14 staff members who are deployed to Gulf Coast states.

UPDATED: Gulf Oil Spill 2010 Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

UPDATED: Gulf Oil Spill 2010 Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

NEW: Condensed Human Health Interim Clinical Guidance with Mental Health Guidance (PDF) What Health Care Providers Should Know about Potential Health Hazards from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

UPDATED: Gulf Oil Spill 2010 Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

NEW: Earthquake Audio, Video, and Multimedia Resources CDC Earthquake PSAs and Podcasts provide timely messages about what you can do to protect yourself and your family from earthquakes.

UPDATED: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health. Currently, 384 CDC and ATSDR staff members are involved in the response, including 13 staff members who are deployed to Gulf Coast states.

NEW: Key Points - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Human Health Interim Clinical Guidance Key Points regarding health effects and risks of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

NEW: Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill Human Health Interim Clinical Guidance What Health Care Providers should know about potential health hazards from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

NEW: Protecting Yourself After a Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico CDC is monitoring potential health threats or conditions across the five Gulf States that may arise as a result of human exposure to the oil spill. In the case of a hurricane or tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico, here are quick facts that families can take to protect their health after the storm.

NEW: 2010 Gulf Oil Spill: Information for Parents fact sheet (Spanish) The Gulf Oil Spill 2010: Information for Parents fact sheet has been translated into Spanish.

UPDATED: 2010 Gulf Oil Spill - Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

Specific Emergencies Information for Pregnant Women Emergencies can be a scary and stressful time, especially for pregnant women or women with infants or children. Though you may feel it is impossible to be ready for unexpected events, being prepared can help you avoid stress and put you in a better position to handle emergencies.

Fact Sheet for Pregnant Women If you are pregnant or someone with infants or young children, find out how to plan for an emergency or disaster. This fact sheet will help you prepare for emergency birth, prepare for an emergency or disaster, evacuate, stay in a shelter or place other than your home, be prepared during and just after a disaster, and recover after a disaster.

NEW: Information for Health Professionals - Seafood Safety Following the Gulf Oil Spill Centers for Disease Control and Prevention letter to Gulf Coast states regarding seafood safety due to the Gulf Oil Spill.

NEW: Coping With a Disaster New fact sheet featuring disaster mental health resources - including Mental Health Information for Individuals and Families, Physicians and First Responders and Relief Workers.

NEW: Gulf Oil Spill Information for Parents Frequently asked questions as well as State and Federal links geared towards parents.

NEW PDF: Table of Chemical Constituents Commonly Found in Crude Oil This information is for environmental exposures. These constituents are present to some degree in all crude oil. Different types of oil, like light sweet crude oil, have different levels of these chemicals. If reported data indicate specific public health risks, CDC will develop and publish recommended steps to stop or reduce exposure. Additional constituents may be added to this list as needed.

UPDATED: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health. Currently, 260 CDC and ATSDR staff members are involved in the response, including 20 staff members who are deployed to Gulf Coast states.

NEW: Interim Guidance for Protecting Deepwater Horizon Response Workers and Volunteers The specific recommendations provided in this Interim Guidance focus on issues specific to the Deepwater Horizon Response and do not address issues common to all disaster response work activities.

UPDATED: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health. Currently, 242 CDC and ATSDR staff members are involved in the response, including 21 staff members who are deployed to Gulf Coast states.

UPDATED: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health. Updated content includes categories "Surveillance for Health Threats", "Worker Safety" and "Data Analysis".

UPDATE: 2010 Gulf Oil Spill - Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

NEW: 2010 Gulf Oil Spill - Health Surveillance CDC, along with the affected Gulf Coast states, has developed a plan to track potential short-term health effects related to the oil spill. Surveillance systems track changes in the number and severity of illnesses and injuries in a population, alerting public health officials to trends that require further investigation.

UPDATE: CDC Responds to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize the importance of anticipating, monitoring and responding to any potential public health hazards that may affect human health.

NEW: Rabies: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Rabies: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2010 Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 23 - 29.

NEW: Factsheet - What to Expect from the Oil Spill and How to Protect Your Health People can be exposed to hazardous substances related to the spill by breathing them (air), by swallowing them (food, water), or by touching them (skin).

UPDATE: Diphtheria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Diphtheria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill An explosion aboard the Deep Water Horizon sinks the drilling rig, causing oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico.

UPDATE: Malaria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Malaria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Iceland Volcano Erupts The Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupts in Iceland creating floods in the area and producing high levels of volcanic ash prompting health concerns.

Funding Opportunity Announcement: Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC) CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) has published Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) #CDC-RFA-TP10-1001: Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC). U.S. accredited Schools of Public Health are eligible to apply. FAQ are linked from the Training home page.

NEW PDF: Coordinating Pediatric Medical Care During an Influenza Pandemic Coordinating Pediatric Medical Care During an Influenza Pandemic

NEW PDF: Hospital 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Readiness Review Checklist Hospital 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Readiness Review Checklist

NEW: Leptospirosis: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Leptospirosis: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Diphtheria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Diphtheria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Tetanus and Neonatal Tetanus: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Tetanus and Neonatal Tetanus: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Tuberculosis: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Tuberculosis: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW PDF: Pandemic Influenza Pediatric Office Plan Template Product of a Pediatric Healthcare Response to Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Stakeholder Meeting

UPDATED: Malaria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Malaria: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Bloody Diarrhea (Dysentery): Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Bloody Diarrhea (Dysentery): Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Dengue: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Dengue: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Measles: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Measles: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Meningococcal Disease: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Meningococcal Disease: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Typhoid and Paratyphoid: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Typhoid and Paratyphoid: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

NEW: Acute Watery Diarrhea and Cholera: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action Acute Watery Diarrhea and Cholera: Haiti Pre-decision Brief for Public Health Action

UPDATE: CDC Responds to the Haiti Earthquake CDC is working with others in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), various branches of the U.S. military, and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti recover from the powerful earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010. CDC's current response focuses on collaborating with national and international partners to meet urgent public health needs and establishing liaisons and coordination needed for successful, long range public health programs in response to the earthquake. As of February 23, 2010, 323 CDC staff are currently engaged in response activities, of these 23 CDC staff are deployed to Haiti and other response agencies.

UPDATED: Fact Sheet for Patients after Amputations or Other Surgeries Added link to CDC Podcast "Take Care of Yourself After an Amputation or Other Surgery".

UPDATED: How can I take care of my new arm or leg? Added link to CDC Podcast "Taking Care of Your New Arm or Leg After an Amputation".

PDF - General Resources Haitian Creole

PDF - General Resources French

PDF - Mental Health Info for the Public Haitian Creole

PDF - Mental Health Info for the Public French

PDF - Mental Health Info for Professionals Haitian

PDF - Mental Health Info for Professionals French

PDF - After An Earthquake Haitian Creole

PDF - Mental health advisory for health professionals providing care for survivors of the 2010 Haitian earthquake French

PDF - After An Earthquake French

DOC - Mental health advisory for health professionals providing care for survivors of the 2010 Haitian earthquake French

DOC - Mental health advisory for health professionals providing care for survivors of the 2010 Haitian earthquake Espanol

PDF - Mental health advisory for health professionals providing care for survivors of the 2010 Haitian earthquake Espanol

NEW: Fact Sheet for Patients after Amputations or Other Surgeries Health information for amputees in Haiti on taking care of yourself after an amputation or other surgeries.

NEW: How can I take care of my new arm or leg? Health information for amputees in Haiti on taking care of your new arm or leg after an amputation.

DOC - How can I take care of my new arm or leg? French

PDF - How can I take care of my new arm or leg? French

DOC - Fact Sheet for Patients after Amputations or Other Surgeries French

PDF - Fact Sheet for Patients after Amputations or Other Surgeries French

DOC - How can I take care of my new arm or leg? Haitian Creole

PDF - How can I take care of my new arm or leg? Haitian Creole

DOC - Fact Sheet for Patients after Amputations or Other Surgeries Haitian Creole

PDF - Fact Sheet for Patients after Amputations or Other Surgeries Haitian Creole

NEW: Haiti Earthquake Response - Mental Health Information for Professionals and the Public This new page includes mental health information for the public (in French, Haitian-Creole and English); information for health professionals including the most recent mental health advisory for professionals providing care for earthquake survivors; coping resources for first-responders; and general information on accessing mental health services in the U.S. by state.

UPDATED: Earthquake Information for Clinicians The "Interim Recommendations for Initial Domestic Medical Screening of Haitian Orphan Parolees" document, provides medical screening recommendations for diseases of public health importance in orphaned children entering the United States from Haiti under humanitarian parole status.

NEW: Emergency Wound Care after an Earthquake This new page provides links that you can use for immediate action in regards to Emergency Wound Care after an Earthquake.

UPDATE: CDC Responds to the Haiti Earthquake CDC is working with others in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), various branches of the U.S. military, and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti recover from the powerful earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010. CDC's current response focuses on collaborating with national and international partners to meet urgent public health needs and establishing liaisons and coordination needed for successful, long range public health programs in response to the earthquake. As of January 30, 2010, 330 CDC staff are currently engaged in response activities, of these 24 CDC staff are deployed to Haiti and other response agencies.

NEW: Thermal Injuries Updated information about thermal injuries including information on pre-hospital and hospital management and care.

UPDATE: CDC Responds to the Haiti Earthquake CDC is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), various branches of the U.S. military, and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti recover from the powerful earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010. CDC's current response focuses on collaborating with national and international partners to meet urgent public health needs and establishing liaisons and coordination needed for successful, long range public health programs in response to the earthquake. One hundred eighty-five CDC staff are currently involved in the response.

UPDATE: Fact Sheet: Landslides and Mudslides Updated information about what causes landslides and debris flows and what you can do to protect yourself from the health threats that they cause.

NEW: Translated Earthquake Home Page (Haitian Creole) Translations for Haitian Creole pages were added.

NEW: Translated Earthquake Home Page (French) Translations for French pages were added.

UPDATE: CDC Responds to the Haiti Earthquake CDC is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), various branches of the U.S. military, and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti recover from the powerful earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010.

NEW: CDC Responds to the Haiti Earthquake CDC is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), various branches of the U.S. military, and other federal and international agencies to help communities in Haiti recover from the powerful earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010.

UPDATED: Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response This notice is to advise relief workers and other personnel traveling to Haiti to assist with the humanitarian response following the January 12 earthquake near Port-au-Prince. Conditions in the area remain hazardous, including extensive damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.

UPDATED: Emergency Wound Management for Healthcare Professionals These principles can assist with wound management and aid in the prevention of amputations. In the wake of a flood disaster resources are limited. Following these basic wound management steps can help prevent further medical problems.

NEW: Public Health Issues and Priorities for the Haiti Earthquake Based on previous experience with disasters in Haiti and earthquakes in other countries, CDC has a general understanding of what the public health needs will be in Haiti following the January 12th earthquake. The following projections and recommendations take into account Haiti's socio-economic and demographic situation, and the health of its people prior to the earthquake.

NEW: Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response This notice is to advise relief workers and other personnel traveling to Haiti to assist with the humanitarian response following the January 12 earthquake near Port-au-Prince. Conditions in the area remain hazardous, including extensive damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.

NEW: Travel Health Warning to Haiti At this time, CDC recommends that U.S. travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Haiti.

NEW: Guidance for U.S. Residents in Haiti The US Department of State has issued guidance to US residents in Haiti.

UPDATED: Health Recommendations for Relief Workers Responding to Disasters This notice provides advice specific to the needs of relief workers responding to disasters internationally or domestically.

UPDATED: After an Earthquake: Management of Crush Injuries & Crush Syndrome Crush injury and crush syndrome may result from structural collapse during an earthquake. Crush injury is defined as compression of extremities or other parts of the body that causes muscle swelling and/or neurological disturbances in the affected areas of the body.

NEW: Q & A: Gastrointestinal (GI) Anthrax New questions and answers on gastrointestinal (GI) anthrax

UPDATED: Q & A: Anthrax and Animal Hide Drums More updated questions and answers on Anthrax and Animal Hide Drums

UPDATED: Q & A: Anthrax and Animal Hide Drums Updated questions and answers for Anthrax and Animal Hide Drums. Know the facts. Stay safe!

MedCon:Pre-Event - A Tool to Estimate the Pre-Event Population at Risk of Medical Consequences in a Disaster The MedCon:Pre-Event has been designed to estimate the baseline medical care requirements (i.e., the number of persons that would require medical care) of a displaced population following a disaster due to pre-existing medical conditions. Users of MedCon:PreEvent should note that the MedCon:Pre-Event has not been designed for estimating the medical care requirements due to direct impact of the event (e.g., injuries and illness) or additional medical care requirements resulting from the aggravation of the existing medical condition. The intended users of the MedCon:Pre-Event model are public health preparedness planners at local, state, and federal levels involved in addressing the large scale medical care requirements resulting from man-made and natural disasters.

VacStockpile: A Tool to Estimate the Potential Impacts for Stockpiling Vaccines for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases of Children The VacStockpile has been designed to help planners and policy makers evaluate the potential health and cost impacts of stockpile decisions for each type of pediatric vaccine for an array of scenarios regarding possible vaccine shortages. The consequences of a vaccine shortage evaluated include potential doses of vaccine shortage, replenishment costs to replace stockpile doses that are used for shortages or discarded because of expiry of shelf life, and a number of potential health consequences (e.g., number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths) that may occur under various vaccine shortage scenarios. Although VacStockpile has been designed for use in the United States, it can be applied to other situations or locations where vaccine stockpiles are being maintained or considered.

Emergency Use Authorization Online Course An EUA online course developed by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide public health officials, emergency managers, or Strategic National Stockpile coordinators with an introduction to the Emergency Use Authorization of medical products.

New RSS Feed: CDC Hurricane Health and Safety Tips Get weekly hurricane health and safety tips from CDC by RSS. In addition to the weekly tips, CDC will also provide you important, timely tips relevant to storms making landfall throughout the season. (These tips also available by email, mobile phone text message, and Twitter.)

National Hurricane Preparedness Week Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 24-30. If you live in coastal areas at risk, CDC encourages you to begin preparing yourself for hurricane season. CDC and other agencies offer many resources to help you stay safe and healthy throughout the 2009 season from June 1 through November 30.

CDC Investigates Human Cases of Swine Flu CDC is investigating human cases of swine flu in the United States. Keep up with updates on the investigation and find out what you can do to protect yourself from getting sick by visiting the CDC Swine Flu website.

Training Opportunity: Disaster Medicine 201: Post-Earthquake Medical Challenges in the New Madrid Seismic Zone May 7-8, 2009, Memphis, TN. This class is a big-picture overview of medical issues related to the earthquake threat in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. It was developed through the cooperation of CUSEC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The class is presented with the invaluable assistance of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The primary instructors are doctors with extensive backgrounds in emergency and disaster medicine. The class is intended for all medical personnel, including EMTs, paramedics, nurses, and doctors concerned with medical issues and operational concerns following an earthquake.

Information About the April 6 Earthquake in Central Italy CDC has provided links on its Earthquake website to Red Cross, Red Crescent, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) information about the April 6 earthquake in central Italy. CDC also encourages you to learn how you can take steps to protect your health and safety during and after an earthquake.

G-M Detectors Job Aid A downloadable graphic illustration of the procedure for performing a radiological survey with a handheld Geiger Mueller detector.

New Public Service Announcements for the Floods Flood PSAs for "Preventing Trench Foot or Immersion Foot" and "Identification and Treatment of Hypothermia Related to Exposure in Cold Water"

Cold Weather Flood Safety During a flood and its aftermath, know how protect your personal health and safety. In winter and early spring, it is especially important to understand the health threats associated with exposure to cold weather and cold water.

Screening People for External Contamination: How to Use Hand-held Radiation Survey Equipment An 18 minute skills training video that demonstrates how to screen people for external contamination using a hand held Geiger Mueller Detector. The program is designed for individuals assigned to conduct mass screening for contamination from radioactive materials following a large scale incident. The program may be used as pre-incident training or intra-incident just in time training. Supplementary training material on utilization of ion chambers and alpha scintillation detectors is provided

Reactions to Smallpox Vaccination: Guidance for Healthcare Professionals Updated information on medications used to treat reactions to the smallpox vaccine.

Smallpox: An Overview for Clinicians New updates on smallpox questions and answers, including infection control and isolation of smallpox patients, and infection control issues for vaccinated healthcare workers.

Smallpox Question and Answers: Vaccine Basics New updates on smallpox vaccine questions and answers, including information on vaccination before and after exposure to smallpox, contraindications and screening, vaccination while pregnant or breastfeeding, and vaccine storage and distribution.

Key Findings -- Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening CDC's Emergency Response -- A CDC Report on Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (TPER)-Funded Activities Key findings from the CDC report, Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening CDC’s Emergency Response. The key findings summarize FY 2007 TPER-funded public health preparedness accomplishments and priorities as CDC continues to strive toward its preparedness goal.

Twitter Feed for CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response Now you can follow emergency.CDC.gov on Twitter. The CDCemergency Twitter feed provides frequent updates related to both preparedness for future emergencies and response to current emergencies.

Send a Winter Weather Preparedness E-Card to Friends and Family Send a message to encourage others to take steps to prepare for winter storms and protect themselves from cold-related problems such as frostbite and hypothermia.

Two New Emergency-Related RSS Feeds Available From CDC CDC has just launched RSS feeds for two of the most popular sections of the emergency.CDC.gov website: 1) Recent Outbreaks and Incidents, which provides information on selected public health emergency topics of recent public interest, ranging from Salmonella outbreaks to hurricanes to terrorism, and 2) Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA), which reaches out to the nation's clinicians with weekly updates and monthly conference calls.

Preparedness Resources for Healthcare Facilities This new webpage provides all-hazards resources intended for individuals at healthcare facilities tasked with ensuring that their facility is as prepared as possible for an emergency. The healthcare facilities targeted by this page include hospitals, long-term acute and chronic care facilities, outpatient clinics and urgent care facilities, physicians' offices, and pediatric offices and hospitals.

Protect Yourself and Your Family from the Dangers of a Volcanic Eruption The level of seismic activity at Mount Redoubt Volcano, about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, has increased and an eruption is possible within days to weeks. Updated information on how to stay safe during and after a volcano eruption.

Anthrax Question and Answers: Vaccination New updates on Anthrax Questions and Answers.

Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening CDC's Emergency Response -- A CDC Report on Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (TPER)-Funded Activities CDC's Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER) has released its inaugural report on CDC activities in public health emergency preparedness. The report, Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening CDC's Emergency Response, explains the key role CDC plays in preparing the public health infrastructure to respond effectively to all types of hazards, and provides an overview of the broad range of preparedness activities receiving Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (TPER) funding. CDC accomplishments in preparedness are described. The report also details how CDC is addressing challenges to achieve its overarching public health preparedness goal: People prepared for emerging health threats - people in all communities will be protected from infectious, occupational, environmental, and terrorist threats.

Search for Peanut Butter Product Recalls Related to Salmonella Outbreak In order to make it easier for consumers to determine whether any of the peanut butter-containing products they have at home are subject to recall, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created and posted an expanded, searchable database that will be updated as new information becomes available. For information on products containing peanut butter from companies not reporting recalls, consumers may wish to consult the company's website or call the toll-free number listed on most packaging. Please note that information consumers may receive from the companies has not been verified by FDA.

CDC Interim Guidance for Revaccination of Eligible Persons who Participated in the US Civilian Smallpox Preparedness and Response October 2008 The purpose of this document is to propose a recommendation for an appropriate time-interval for revaccination of public health and health care volunteers who were vaccinated as responders in the US Civilian Smallpox Preparedness and Response Program. This document addresses only the revaccination of public health and healthcare volunteers and does not address routine revaccination guidance for laboratory workers or primary vaccination of emergency responders.

Launch of 'SNAPS: Snap Shots of State Population Data' CDC is pleased to announce the public launch of SNAPS: Snap Shots of State Population Data. SNAPS is a free service to the public that provides local-level community profile information nationwide. It can be browsed by county and state and searched by zip code. SNAPS serves as a valuable tool when responding to public health emergency events at the state, Tribal, and local levels. It provides a snap shot of key variables for consideration in guiding and tailoring health education and communication efforts to ensure diverse audiences receive critical public health messages that are accessible, understandable, and timely.

Medical Record Abstraction Form for Domestic Bombing Events This one-page form allows public health personnel to quickly extract basic medical information from hospital and emergency medical services' records to advise officials on the immediate impact of the event and the potential need for special resources.

Our New Site! Find out about the many improvements to CDC's Emergency Preparedness and Response Web site.

Severe Winter Weather: Learn How to Stay Warm and Safe When winter temperatures drop significantly below normal, staying warm and safe can become a challenge. Extremely cold temperatures often accompany a winter storm. You may have to cope with power failures, icy roads, and other dangerous conditions.

California Wildfires: Protect Yourself and Others Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. Know whether you are at risk and protect yourself.

FAQ: Melamine in Food Products Manufactured in China News reports and the World Health Organization (WHO) state that tens of thousands of infants in China who consumed infant formula contaminated with melamine are suffering from urinary tract stones, kidney damage, and kidney failure.

CDC Responds to Hurricane Season 2008 Learn what you can do to be prepared before a hurricane, what to do during the storm, and how to stay safe in the aftermath.

Blast Injury Fact Sheets — seven new fact sheets added. Fact sheets for health care providers on the treatment of blast injuries.

Recommendations to Protect Persons Wounded During Bombings and Other Mass Casualty Events New recommendations were published jointly this week in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) and the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal